Impact of Soft Tissue Grafts to Reduce Peri-implant Alterations After Immediate Implant Placement and Provisionalization in Compromised Sockets

Fausto Frizzera, DDS, MSc, PhD/Rubens Moreno de Freitas, DDS, MSc, PhD/Oscar Fernando Muñoz-Chávez, DDS, MSc, PhD/Guilherme Cabral, DDS/Jamil Awad Shibli, DDS, MSc, PhD/Elcio Marcantonio Jr, DDS, MSc, PhD: This study evaluated the impact of soft tissue grafts to reduce marginal peri-implant recession (MPR) after 1 year of follow-up. A total of 24 patients with one single failing maxillary incisor presenting facial bone dehiscence and receiving an immediate implant, bone graft, and provisional were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8 in each group): control (CTL), collagen matrix (CM), and connective tissue graft (CTG). Clinical, photographic, and tomographic analyses were performed to evaluate tissue alterations. The use of a CTG avoided MPR (P < .05) and provided better contour of the alveolar ridge (P < .01) and greater thickness (P < .05) of the soft tissue at the implant facial aspect.